Mae
by Diana E. Gray
Summary: When a priceless ritual item is stolen from the palace, it's up to Apollo and Albhi to investigate and clear the name of the young maid being accused for the crime. (Entry for the 2018 Court Records OC Contest)
1. Albhi's Request

**Rising from the depths again for yet another OC Contest entry. I hope you enjoy! 3 - Di**

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"Mr. Justice, Mr. Justice!"

Apollo Justice groaned under his breath, rubbing his aching temples. He'd been reading case files all night – not surprisingly, many people were requesting the help of a genuine defense attorney now that they were legal again in Khura'in, and some of the requests were, frankly, a little ridiculous. Not that he wasn't used to this kind of thing from his time at Mr. Wright's firm, but still, actual cases going to court in less than a week were a bit more pressing than mysteriously vanishing Plumed Punished merchandise and investigating who hit the vegetable seller with their ox and cart.

Albhi Ur'gaid tore into the office, almost knocking Datz Are'bol off the ladder he was using to paint the highest corners of the office. After apologizing and bowing profusely, the tour guide skidded to a halt in front of Apollo's desk, one hand clutching his bag and the other firmly clamping his puppy Shah'do atop his head. After catching his breath and managing to stutter out the traditional greeting, the boy began to spit out words a mile a minute.

"Please Mr. Justice, you have to help Mae, she would never do anything like that, she loves her job at the palace, she could never-"

"Whoa, Albhi, slow down," Apollo interrupted, holding up a hand. "Start from the beginning. What's going on?"

Albhi took a deep breath. "I was giving my tour and we were passing by the palace when I saw the guards escorting Mae outside and she was crying and-"

"Hang on, who is this Mae? The name doesn't sound familiar."

Albhi's cheeks flushed. "She's no one!" When Apollo raised an eyebrow, he sighed. "Oh, I guess you wouldn't know her. Her name is Mae'do Laqueen, but everyone just calls her Mae. She's a… well, we practically grew up together. She just got hired as a new maid to the princess Rayfa after… well, everything that happened a few months ago. I would sneak in to see her sometimes and help out and… yeah."

Apollo nodded. "Okay, now I know. Go ahead."

"Well, I ran up to her and she said she'd been accused of stealing the ceremonial incense burner used for the channeling rituals conducted by the queen, but I know she'd never do such a thing so I was hoping maybe we could go and check it out." Albhi looked up hopefully.

"Wait, hold on. If there's been a crime of this nature, inside the palace no less, why haven't I been called yet? Has she been taken into custody?"

Albhi scrunched his nose, thinking. "No, I don't think so. She was just removed from the palace. No one was around to take her away."

"Hm, that's odd. A theft of something so valuable, but no arrest?" Apollo stood up, casting a last glance at the colossal pile of files on his desk. But it was no use – his curiosity was piqued. "I guess I can take a little time to investigate."

Albhi cheered, grabbing Apollo's hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "Thank you thank you thank you! I know you'll solve the case, Mr. Justice!"

"N-no problem, Albhi. Where is this Mae now? Can I talk to her?" Apollo asked, removing his hand gently from Albhi's vicelike grip.

"Yeah! I knew you'd say yes, so I brought her with me! She's right outside."

"Well, bring her in. I want to ask her a couple questions first, then we'll head over to the palace."


	2. Meeting Mae

Apollo searched his desk for a blank notebook, sighing at himself. Why the heck had he even agreed to this? He had enough work as it was. And the way things looked right now, the case against Mae wouldn't be going to trial. But when Albhi led the girl in question inside, he knew why. She was so young, so scared. He just had to help her.

"Mae, this is Mr. Justice. He wants to help you out, okay?"

The girl still looked pretty shaken up, but she stumbled over the traditional greeting, offering Apollo a shy, grateful smile. "I'm Mae'do Laqueen, but please call me Mae. Thank you so much for, um, taking my case. I think that's the correct term."

"Well, you haven't technically been charged with anything, have you?" Apollo asked, gesturing for both the children to sit down.

"N-no, I don't think so," Mae replied, tugging on her skirt nervously as she took a seat. "I've just been removed from my position. Oh, what will the princess do without me…? I was the only one who kept track of her schedule…"

"I'd like to talk about that, if that's alright," Apollo gently interrupted Mae's musings. "What was the schedule like today?"

Mae fixed her green gaze on the ceiling, biting her lip as she recounted the day. "Well, I woke up Princess Rayfa and dressed her, before escorting her to the throne room, where she had duties to attend to. Following that, the princess was to be practicing the Dance of Devotion at Tehm'pul Temple. The guards were meant to escort her there, so I… I ran a few errands in the market, but I made sure I would arrive back at the palace before the princess. A-and… and that's when it happened…" Mae's lip began to tremble and Albhi squeezed her hand tightly.

"It's okay, Mae. You can tell him."

Mae sniffed and nodded. "W-when I got back, the palace was in an uproar. The incense burner used in the queen's channeling ritual was missing and the ritual master blamed me for it. Th-they were going to arrest me when I said I didn't know what had happened to it, but the princess… she just demanded I be let go instead. And that's when Albhi found me."

Apollo nodded, looking over the notes he'd taken. "And what can you tell me about the incense burner? Anything special about it?"

"It's really beautiful," Mae replied, nodding enthusiastically, the gold ornament in her hair jingling up and down with the motion. "Made of gold with an emerald set into the top. I've seen it sometimes when the princess goes to observe the channeling ritual. That's all it's ever used for. It's always kept in the channeling room."

"Okay, Mae. And did you talk to anyone in the market, anyone who can vouch for you being there?"

Mae hesitated, looking uncomfortable and wringing her hands. "N-no, I… I didn't end up buying anything. The stores didn't have what I was looking for, so I didn't speak to anyone. And there were so many people I doubt anyone would remember seeing me. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Apollo said, but inside he was mentally cursing. Of course it couldn't be that easy. "Do you think you could take us to the palace so we can look around a bit?" Noting Mae's slightly distressed expression, Apollo continued. "Don't worry. You'll be with me, it'll be okay. We just want to look around a bit, and having you there might help us find clues."

The young girl nodded slowly. "I'll help however I can, Mr. Justice."

"Thanks, Mae. Can you go outside and tell Datz to make you a cup of tea before we leave? I need to gather up a few things." Mae nodded and exited the small office, closing the door behind her. Albhi spoke up almost immediately.

"Well, what do you think? Do you know who did it yet?"

"Albhi, we haven't even investigated yet," Apollo replied. "But I have a few questions I'd like to ask you… about Mae."

Albhi colored again. "We're not dating!"

"That… wasn't what I was going to ask you." Apollo almost failed to hide his smirk. "What I was actually going to ask is about this incense burner. It sounds really valuable. Would there be any way to sell it?"

"I mean, sure, I guess so. There's a black market for all kinds of things. I bet they'd pay good money for something so sacred and something made out of gold and jewels, too," Albhi mused.

"And Mae… would she have any reason to take something like this? Does she need money for anything?"

Albhi hesitated. "Well…"

"You can tell me, Albhi. I'm going to take the case no matter what."

Albhi sighed. "Mae's youngest sister, Juu'ni, she's only four. She's really sick and her parents are having trouble taking care of her."

Apollo nodded, gritting his teeth. A motive and no alibi. He'd defended worse. But the situation definitely wasn't ideal. "Okay. Let's go to the palace."


	3. Investigation

After a brief discussion with the guards (they were reluctant to allow Mae back into the palace, but Apollo assured them that he would keep an eye on her), Apollo, Albhi, and Mae made their way through the palace toward the channeling hall. Apollo decided starting at the scene of the crime would be best.

"As you know, Mr. Justice, this is highly irregular, allowing 'common folk' like yourself into the sacred channeling chamber of the Khura'in Palace, but Prosecutor Sahdmadhi gave explicit orders for you to be allowed wherever you see fit." Apollo internally thanked god that he'd called Nahyuta on the way over and asked for assistance as the group followed the pompous chief ritual official down the hall. "I will be observing you throughout the duration of your investigation, particularly since you chose to bring the young lady in question with you." The man's lip curled as he directed a glare at Mae, who shrunk under his cold gaze. Albhi puffed out his chest, shielding her from any further stares.

"She didn't do it, sir! You don't have any proof that she did!"

"The entire staff knows about her family's predicament with her sister, boy," the chief ritual official sniffed. "And she was the only one seen around the channeling hall around the time of the theft."

"I'm sorry, what time was that?" Apollo interrupted. Mae definitely hadn't mentioned being around the area in her recounting of the day.

"Well, I'm not sure of the exact time. But it was after the time that the princess was scheduled to leave for her Dance of Devotion practice at the temple. I remember because I recall seeing the guards meant to escort her approaching the throne room before I saw this young lady here skulking around the channeling hall."

Apollo threw a backwards glance at Mae, who didn't meet his eyes. She just bit her lip, wringing her hands and keeping her gaze focused on the wood beneath their feet. Making a mental note to ask her about this later, he followed the official into the channeling hall.

The room was dark, lit only by candles, and curtains shrouded the walls, giving the entire room an ethereal feeling. The wooden floor was covered in rugs as well, with two pillows obviously meant for the queen and the visiting dignitary. "Where was the incense burner kept?" Apollo asked the official. He pointed toward an empty ivory plate in the far corner of the room. Apollo, Albhi, and Mae crossed the room to examine it.

"Hmm," Apollo muttered, kneeling down to pick up the plate. "Look at the indention in the rug over here – this plate's been moved. And I bet I know why." He gestured to the rug underneath the plate. "Look at this burn." A black mark sullied the rug and extended all the way to the curtain in the corner, which sported a hole that someone had attempted to hide. "I assume this wasn't always here?"

Mae shook her head quickly. "When I come to observe with the princess, we sit right here." She pointed to two tasseled pillows near the wall where the group was kneeling. "I've never seen this stain before."

"Was the incense burner lit this morning?"

"It shouldn't have been. It's only lit just before channeling rituals, and there was not one scheduled today. Everything in this room should be pristine." Mae wrinkled her nose. "I don't know where this burn could have come from."

"Do you think we'd be able to ask the queen about it?"

Mae's eyes widened. "The queen? Oh no, Mr. Justice, she's far too busy for that. But… it's possible Her Benevolence might know something about it. Maybe she noticed it at the last channeling ritual when I didn't. She should be in her chambers right now, if you'd like to ask her."

Apollo nodded, mentally preparing himself to deal with Rayfa again. "I think we'd better do that."

As the trio exited the channeling hall, the chief ritual official bid them farewell (saying something about the desperate need to report the newly discovered burn to the queen) and disappeared toward the throne room. Mae pointed toward the direction of Rayfa's room, beginning to lead the way down the hallway, strategically not allowing Apollo to ask her any questions about the conflicting story of her whereabouts he'd just heard.

"I'm sure she had a good reason," Albhi muttered, his eyebrows crinkling in thought as the two followed Mae down the covered walkway. "I don't know why she'd lie though…"

Apollo's eye was caught by a row of four statues positioned along the side wall of the channeling hall. All of them depicted the Holy Mother in different poses, each with a small basket in front of them. All of the baskets were empty, except for the one in front of the leftmost statue – it bore a fresh bouquet of flowers. "Albhi, do you know anything about these statues?"

"These? Yeah, they're used for making sacrifices to the Holy Mother for small things. If I remember right, they're for success, prosperity, wisdom, and healing," Albhi replied, pointing at the statues from right to left as the pair walked by them. "Obviously, since they're in here, they're mostly for palace officials' use, but tourists visiting offer things too. I usually see them emptied around 11am or so, when I manage to bring tours in here."

"Interesting," Apollo muttered. "I'll keep that in mind." They stepped aside to allow some soldiers to pass through the hallway, inadvertently picking up a bit of their conversation.

"…unexpected to have that break when we were not required to escort the princess to the temple…"

"….was she sick or what? I don't even know if she went at all…"

Apollo and Albhi raised their eyebrows at each other. They had just stumbled on an interesting new lead to follow up on with Rayfa herself.

Apollo knocked on the door to Rayfa's chambers and there was an entirely too long pause before a flustered "come in" sounded from within. Entering the room, the trio was greeted with a flurry of angry words. "Horn Head! And with her? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too, Your Benevolence," Apollo replied, wincing. Rayfa's shrill shrieks were not doing his head any favors. "We just wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened this morning."

Rayfa stuck her nose in the air. "Hmph. She should be grateful. I'm the one who insisted she not be formally punished, just let go."

"I-I am grateful, princess," Mae piped up from behind Apollo. "But I didn't steal anything, honestly. Albhi and Mr. Justice are helping to investigate to see if we can find who did."

"Please. It had to have been you, Mae. No one else went near the channeling hall this morning, according to the ritual official. I certainly didn't see anyone on my way to the temple to practice the Dance of Devotion. And how could you leave such a mess? Burning the floor and curtain like that was a sure way to get caught."

"Well, Your Benevolence, that's where we have a problem. We heard some soldiers in the hall saying you didn't attend your Dance of Devotion practice today, or at least that you didn't require the soldiers to escort you there," Apollo countered. "And also, how did you know about the burn? No one else has been in the channeling chamber today"

Rayfa looked surprised for a moment, then her haughty expression returned. "Well, I did dismiss a few of the guards. I thought four was simply way too many. Two would suffice for a simple walk to the temple, wouldn't you agree?" Apollo felt his bracelet tighten around his wrist. She was lying. "And as for the burn, the chief ritual officer mentioned it when giving his report to my mother and me." Apollo glanced quickly at her, trying to spot her tell. It had to be somewhere… there!

"I don't know about the soldiers, Your Benevolence, but you cannot have found out about the burn this morning. The chief ritual official didn't know about it until we found it not fifteen minutes ago." Apollo slammed his hand down on the desk where Rayfa was sitting, causing her to jump and exclaim "Horn Head!" disapprovingly. "I know you're lying to me, Your Benevolence. Whenever you talk about the incident, you subconsciously rub the back of your right foot with your left. Are you hiding something?"

"Please tell us the truth, Your Benevolence. Mae really needs your help!" Albhi pleaded. Rayfa looked between the three of them, almost about to say something, then she stiffened, sticking her nose in the air.

"I don't know anything more than I've told you. Now leave my chambers. I have a busy schedule this afternoon."

Defeated, Apollo, Albhi, and Mae regrouped in the garden outside of the channeling hall. "What can we do now, Mr. Justice? If the princess won't talk to us anymore, it seems like we're at a dead end," Albhi moaned, putting his head in his hands.

"Not quite," Apollo responded. "Mae, it seems like you haven't been entirely honest with me."

The girl's head snapped up. "I-I don't know what you mean, Mr. Justice," she replied, but her voice was trembling.

"D-don't scare her, Mr. Justice," Albhi piped up quickly. "I'm sure she's telling the truth. Maybe the official was just mistaken!"

"Albhi, just because she's your friend, doesn't mean she can't tell a lie from time to time," Apollo said, before fixing his gaze on Mae. "Mae, it's really important that you be honest with me, okay? I need to know where you were this morning after you escorted Rayfa to the throne room."

Mae couldn't look up, her hands clasping together. "I t-told you, Mr. Justice, I went to go run errands."

"See, I don't think you did," Apollo replied gently, one hand on his tightening bracelet. "I noticed earlier too, but whenever you talk about where you were this morning, you clasp your hands. Almost like… you're praying."

Albhi gasped. "Mr. Justice, you don't think-"

"I do. The baskets in front of the prayer statues are emptied in the morning, but there was a bouquet of flowers in the statue of the Holy Mother devoted to healing. Mae, did you go make an offering to the Holy Mother this morning for your sister instead of going to the market like you were supposed to?"

Mae's green eyes widened. "H-how did you know?" She nervously adjusted the ornament in her hair as she continued. "It was the only time I could find to do it after I finished my chores, and I promised ma I'd make an offering in the palace for Juu'ni before I visited home this weekend. She has a big surgery coming up soon." Mae sighed. "But my chores took so long that I didn't have time to go to the market before the princess would arrive home and then all of this happened…"

Apollo processed this new information, then gasped, his head snapping up. "Mae, this means… you could have been right next to the crime scene when the incense burner was stolen! Think back to when you were praying. Do you remember anything?"

Mae closed her eyes, obviously thinking hard. "I snuck to the side of the channeling hall, since I was meant to be at the market… I laid down my flowers and I prayed… oh! I do remember something!" She fixed her gaze on Apollo, Albhi poking his head eagerly over Apollo's shoulder. "I remember a voice inside the channeling chamber. It almost sounded like they were doing a ritual of some kind…"

"Doing a ritual, huh…?" Apollo repeated. The pieces were falling into place. "I think we need-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Justice!" The voice of the chief ritual official interrupted Apollo's thoughts. "Please come quickly! There's been a development. The incense burner… it's been found!"

"So… there's no crime then? Can Mae have her job back?" Albhi asked excitedly.

The official laughed. "Oh no, boy. Quite the contrary, in fact. The crime has gotten even more serious."


	4. Conclusion

Apollo, Albhi, and Mae looked in dismay at the cracked incense burner, thrown behind the channeling hall into the garden. "I hope you see what happened. The girl attempted to steal it, broke the priceless artifact, panicked, and threw it into the back garden before making her escape," the chief ritual official concluded triumphantly. "Consider yourself lucky the princess has decided to have mercy on you, young lady, or you would be facing the fullest extent of the law."

"I didn't do this!" Mae whispered, her face absolutely aghast. "I could never break a priceless artifact like this…"

"Mae, this wasn't here when you were praying, was it?" Apollo asked.

"No, Mr. Justice, I left passing by the back garden, I would have noticed it for sure."

"Alright. I think I'm ready to put this together. Chief Ritual Official, can you go retrieve Her Benevolence from her chambers? I'd like her to hear my logic as well," Apollo said, straightening up and fixing his tie. The official looked mortified at being asked to do such a menial task, but huffed away toward the princess's chambers.

"Do you really think you know what happened, Mr. Justice?" Mae asked, biting her lip, her green eyes hopeful.

"I think so. There's just one lie left to unravel."

A few minutes passed before the princess arrived, stalking down the corridor toward Apollo. "Horn Head! What is the meaning of this interruption? I am incredibly busy, especially since my maid has recently been let go."

"Please excuse the intrusion, Your Benevolence, but I thought you'd want to hear my logic as I prove Mae innocent of this crime," Apollo replied, trying not to sound too smug.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?" Rayfa spluttered, an equally indignant chief ritual official behind her.

"Yes, Mae did 'commit a crime.' She didn't go to the market as ordered because she was offering prayers for her sister's surgery this weekend."

"Well, she… she could be lying about that!" Rayfa interrupted.

"No, I don't think so. The chief ritual official here says no one else was around the channeling hall all day, and the offering of flowers in front of the statue of the Holy Mother had to come from someone, since the baskets are emptied in the morning. Mae was exactly where she, eventually, said she was," Apollo finished, winking at Mae, who hung her head, smiling shyly.

"Alright, well then, who is responsible for this atrocity?" the chief ritual official stuttered.

"Your Benevolence, there were a few things in our discussion earlier that I found strange. You knew about the state of the channeling chamber before you were told, and the soldiers implied you were not where you were supposed to be earlier today, at the time of the crime, no less. Furthermore, Mae heard someone in the channeling hall practicing a ritual. Now, there are only four pillows in the channeling hall. Two for the queen and her visitor, one for Mae, and one for you. Am I right?"

"Y-yes…" Rayfa answered shakily.

"Mae, the ritual you heard someone practicing in the channeling hall. Was it the channeling ritual usually performed by the queen?"

"Yes, yes it was!" Mae answered, her eyes widening as she looked at Rayfa. "Princess, you didn't…"

"Your Benevolence, it was you, wasn't it. You broke the incense burner while you were practicing the ritual, attempted to hide it, and when it was blamed on Mae, you demanded a lenient punishment for her because the crime… was your own."

Rayfa fumed for a moment, then all the fight seemed to drain out of her. She hung her head. "I should have known you'd figure it out, Horn Head. You're right. I skipped my Dance of Devotion practice and was practicing my mother's ritual. I was hoping to surprise her with it. I ran into the incense burner as I backed up and I burned my ankle on it."

"That explains your tell," Apollo murmured to himself.

"It fell off the plate and just… broke. I panicked, I'd just broken a sacred artifact, what was I going to do? I threw it behind the channeling hall and planned to come get it later while everyone was asleep. I never dreamed anyone would notice it was missing so quickly." Rayfa turned to Mae. "Mae, I'm sorry I let them blame you. I was planning on coming to confess to you later and I was going to make it up to you and your family by helping with your sister's medical expenses. But in the moment, I just… couldn't speak up. The least I could do was make sure you weren't arrested."

Mae approached Rayfa, smiling shyly. "It's okay, princess. I understand. We've all been in a situation like that, I think."

Rayfa hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the younger girl's hands. "How can I make it up to you?"

Mae lifted her head, her smile wider than ever. "Can I be your maid again, princess?"

Rayfa sighed in relief. "I thought you'd never ask. I've been absolutely lost without you."

Mae curtsied to the princess gracefully before turning to Apollo and Albhi. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you two enough for all you did for me. Please feel free to come to the palace anytime for tea, at least with me. I don't think Rayfa and 'Horn Head' can have a peaceful tea together yet." She giggled before leaning up to press a quick kiss to Albhi's cheek. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Albhi turned bright red. "N-no problem, M-Mae."

The sweet moment was interrupted by Rayfa, who stamped her foot on the floor. "Come, Mae. We have work to do. And Horn Head? Take your friend and leave my sight, now!"

Apollo rolled his eyes, bowing. "Yes, Your Benevolence."

And with that, Apollo and Albhi left the palace, leaving a laughing Mae and a fuming Rayfa in their wake. Apollo reflected on the day as the sun dipped below the hills on his walk back to the office, where he knew the pile of cases was still waiting. But he couldn't call this day a waste. Seeing Mae's smile doing the job she loved was worth the work. And seeing Albhi's still-flushed cheeks on the walk back was the cherry on top.

"This is what defense attorneys do, you know," he commented out loud. "Help those who aren't in a position to help themselves. You've got real potential, Albhi."

"Y-you think I could be an attorney someday? Really?"

"If you work hard, I think you'd be a great one. And a good start would be helping me sort all my new cases-"

Albhi paled quickly, clearly remembering the size of the pile on Apollo's desk. "Sorry Mr. Justice, I just remembered a late night tour I promised to give. Maybe next time! Gotta go!"

As Apollo watched the boy disappear down the nearest alley, he sighed. Typical. But the potential of finding more cases like Mae's, of someone who really needed his help, kept his feet moving forward as he headed home.


End file.
